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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. board — a committee
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rest — a break
  15. capital — a city
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. board — to get on
  19. capital — money
  20. fall — to drop
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fall — the season
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com